Vulnerable
by Zane's Girlfriend
Summary: The ninja lost. The Devourer won. Everyone now lives underground, slowly starving to death. Zane and an injured Lloyd are exiled from the safe, underground haven, only to find worse things about. How will they survive? Can they destroy the serpent, or die alone? The others are torn in two, hoping to find them before it's too late, but also afraid. Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Languishing

All is lost. The ninja failed to destroy the Great Devourer and all of Ninjago has been laid waste. The people, as well as the Serpentine, have hidden underground for two months, while the massive snake consumes the surface. The people have formed a community, where those able to work must venture out of the-relatively-safe haven of the tunnels to search for any supplies they can find. The food resources have dwindled, becoming a major concern. Zane sits at the far end of the main tunnel, covering his face with his hands, unable to get away from the stench of rotting carcasses from the people who have perished from starvation.

Today is Wednesday and the only reason Zane knows is because that is when the rations are distributed in his area, tunnel fourteen. Kai shuffled through the crowd, most of them lying on the ground, too weak to even sit up against the wall. He fills each empty bowl with cold liquid, containing little to no vegetables at all. After he gives Zane the proper amount of "soup", the rules being strict on rations, he whispers softly, "Is he any better?"

Zane lifts his head, looking at the child in green beside him, pale, sweaty, sick, languishing from the lack of proper medical care. A cloth is wrapped around Lloyd's chest and midsection, covering a gash that runs the length of his left side in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "No, he is not." Zane responds weakly.

"I'll be calling you for the scavenging, after I finish," Kai notifies him and moves to tunnel fifteen, his labored footsteps echoing throughout the otherwise silent, underground.

Zane reaches for Lloyd's bowl, his fingers trembling and he picks it up, putting Lloyd's head in his lap. He carefully places the edge of the bowl against the boy's lips, tipping it so enough liquid runs into his mouth, yet not enough to choke him, hopefully. Since Zane does not need to eat, he gives what little food he has to Lloyd. At the moment, the rations are distributed once a week to each tunnel, causing a major increase in death. Lloyd coughs violently, making Zane spill the soup, and he lifts the child in a sitting position while patting his back gently, telling him, "It's alright. You're going to be fine, but you need to eat." Zane takes his own bowl and attempts to feed Lloyd again, to no avail.

"Lloyd…please stay with me," the ice ninja says.

"Zane Julien, Jay Walker, and Gerry Lyons!" Kai calls them for the scavenger group.

**At the Exit**

Zane stares up at a crack in the "roof" of the underground, hesitating, wondering where the Devourer is at the moment, and how large it has become. _Well, there's only one way to find out. _He holds his breath as he places his hands against the only thing between them, the surface, and the massive, man-eating snake. He pushes the roof up and light appears through a round hole, and he shoves the small, circular lid to the side. He steps onto a boulder and lifts himself out of the tunnel, but quickly jumps back inside, rapidly closing the exit. A rumble shakes the tunnel, distant, yet distinct.

Everyone throws their torches aside and drop to the hard ground. The ground trembles, progressively drawing near every moment as the stone lid cracks in a spider web pattern, snapping, and drops close to their heads from a heavy weight above. The exit is covered with green scales, sliding slowly across it. After about two minutes, daylight shines through and after about ten minutes of waiting breathlessly, there are no more sounds, nor tremors.

Zane gets back on the boulder, cautiously peering above the hole, but doesn't see any signs of the enormous serpent, and scrambles out. He crouches next to the exit and announces above a whisper, "It's gone."

Everyone gets out and stands unsteadily. Only then do they notice what has become of the forest around them, its trees being uprooted, some snapped in half, or split down the center, yet all displaying a distinct pattern. The destroyed plants are either cast to the left or to the right, creating a path about fifty feet wide and the length running as far as the eye can see.

"What the heck!" Jay exclaims and Kai smacks his head, while Zane covers his mouth.

"Don't shout!" Gerry whispers fiercely, "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"You don't want to end up like Lloyd, do you?" Zane asks and lets go of Jay.

"What do you mean? Are you saying he's sick and injured like that because he made too much noise during the scavenging or something?" Or when-Nya pushed him away from the Devourer?" Jay's throat constricts at the mention of his missing girlfriend.

"Yes…and no," Zane responds, not wanting to speak of the matter. He touches his upper side without thinking, fingering the gaping hole.

"Well?" Jay grows impatient, "What happened?"

**Flashback**

"Hello? Where are you guys?" Lloyd cups his hands to his mouth and calls for his group desperately, his small voice echoing throughout the lonely forest. "Anyone he slumps against the tree, sliding to the ground, and curls up into a ball; His little form trembling from terror as he waits for someone to find him. How could he have lost the men? His head snaps up at a slight tremor in the ground and Lloyd is instantly on his feet, running as fast as his feeble legs can go, in the opposite direction.

A sharp hiss rings throughout the forest and trees sway precariously over his head. He risks a glance behind his shoulder, only to see the serpent, slithering at a rapid pace, only twenty feet away, its hot breath on Lloyd's back. The green ninja darts to the right, shoving the dense foliage aside as the Devourer opens its deadly jaws, its slimy, red tongue whipping out, and curling around Lloyd's ankle, retracts. Lloyd is yanked closer to the mouth of the snake and he grabs a fairly large stone. He hurls it at the interior of the hideous jaws, striking the creature's tonsils.

The Devourer hisses in unpleasant surprise, releasing Lloyd's ankle. The dark lord's son wastes no time in darting to his left, ducking under low branches as the snake advances, its purple eyes glowing with rage.

"Help!" Lloyd screams.

"Lloyd, over here!" Zane scrambles out of the underground exit and snatches the boy, shoving him though the hole, then quickly slips inside, closing it with the lid. Zane drops on all fours, splashing in something wet and sticky. After he senses the snake is gone, he opens up his left arm, flipping a switch that makes his head glow, only to confirm his fears. The wet stuff is blood. It's Lloyd's. The green ninja lies on his left side, arms splayed on the ground, legs curled up.

"Lloyd!" Zane cries out, picking him up. "Someone, help!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Punishment

"What have you done?" a man, with a group of other people walk briskly towards the ninja, holding torches aloft.

"Please help him. He's injured." Zane implores the leader of the underground; then it hit him. He made a severe mistake, having just broken two of the rules of the underground as follows: #253: Do not reveal the safe haven under any circumstances, unless there is an imminent crisis at hand. # 137: Never leave the underground, unless the leaders and community permit you.

"You're a robot, so you should know the consequences of your reckless actions," the leader, Jaques, ambles up to him, "and impudence." As the last word leaves his mouth, a teenage girl takes Lloyd out of Zane's arms.

"What are you doing with him?" Zane demands sternly, grabbing the leader's bulky arm, squeezing him tightly enough to let the human know he is not messing around.

Jaques takes Zane's hand off him, looking the Nindroid straight in the eye, "He must be punished for receiving your help."

"I threw him down here without his consent. But-I was saving his life. How is that wrong?"

Lloyd lifts his head slightly, finding himself slung over a girl's shoulder, in a fireman's carry, his entire left side stinging, and permeated in blood that drips slowly on the ground. "Please don't harm him. I will take both punishments, just let me take care of his injury," Zane implores them, knowing if he rebels, Lloyd could be killed or exiled from the safe haven, and he would not be able to stop them.

Jaques maintains a straight face, while inwardly laughing. "You have two minutes to help him." The teen carefully sets Lloyd on the ground as Zane rushes up to the boy and quickly pulls off the top of the green gi.

"This is going to be painful. Just bear with it," Zane tells him. Lloyd nods; then bites his lip as the ice ninja cautiously removes the chunk of rock imbedded in the boy's side. Blood gushes freely out of the open wound. Zane presses both hands against the gash, lightly creating a thin layer of ice to stop the bleeding for about a minute, before it melts. _He shouldn't get frostbite in such a brief duration_, the white ninja speculates, taking his hood off his head and begins tearing it into a long strip.

Lloyd reaches a shivering hand out to his side, but Zane pulls his hand firmly away, and says softly, "Don't touch it, or you'll make it worse."

He resumes tearing the cloth. "B-but I-I'm col-ld."

"Calm down. The faster I get this done, the sooner you're going to be okay," Zane tears the golden piece out of the remaining cloth; and lifts his brother into a sitting position, leaning Lloyd's head against his chest. He wraps the whit cloth around the boy's midsection, chest, and left shoulder. As he ties the bandage, bright red spots spread across it. Zane puts the top of the gi back on Lloyd and hugs him, careful not to touch the boy's wound. Hot tears smear his clothing.

"Time's up. Now your turn," Jaques announces, fingering a bradawl and knife.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hole

"Put that gold piece between your teeth," Jaques instructs Zane, who grudgingly complies, all the while wondering if this is avoidable at all.

_I could take care of them without much of a hassle, but the girl has Lloyd. The punishments won't be that bad. Will they? _Zane silently debates on what course of action to take, but his answer that rings in his head is 'none'. _Don't do anything, and everything will be fine._

**End of Flashback**

"Hello?" Jay waves his hand in front of his brother's face, "Is anyone home? Zane?"

"What?" Zane asks, startled out of his thoughts, and accidentally shoves his finger in the hole. He flinches, extreme pain shooting throughout his body, and drops to both knees.

"Zane!" the others exclaim in unison.

Kai puts a hand on the ice ninja's shoulder and asks, "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Are you in pain?" Jay questions him.

Zane grits his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut, in too much agony to respond. _What does it look like? No, it doesn't hurt at all. _He thinks sarcastically, opening his eyes as the pain subsides to a small throb in his side and forces himself to his feet, but sways, leaning on Kai while a swoon takes over him.

The fire ninja catches him and says, "Zane! What's the matter?"

"So much for being quiet and not alerting anything out here," Gerry mutters, glancing from side to side nervously, expecting the Devourer to show up at any given moment. Nothing.

Zane pulls away letting go of his side, and tells them, "I'm fine. I just felt a little dizzy for a moment."

"No you are not," Kai persists, and touches Zane's side, pressing against the ice ninja's side, causing Zane to flinch again.

Kai pulls the front of Zane's gi down. "Hey, what exactly is wrong?" Jay asks; then gasps when he sees a hole with a five-inch diameter in his brother's side neatly cut.

"What happened to you?" Kai exclaims.

"Guys," Gerry tugs Jay's sleeve, but gets no response, "Guys, we need to leave, now."

"What happened?" Jay screams.

Zane remains silent, putting the top of his gi back on as Kai face palms and sucks in a deep breath to calm down before saying, "Zane…we need to know what is going on. Is there something wrong with your system or did someone do this to you?" When he mentions the latter, the ice ninja's hand twitches and he glances in Kai's direction for the briefest moment. "Who did this to you?" he presses.

"I can't tell you," Zane responds in a low voice.

"Get out of here, now!" Gerry shouts, shoving the others closer to the opening.

"What is it?" Jay asks. Suddenly, a spear lands in the ground, next to his foot. The group turn to see a dozen thin men, wearing grass skirts and with faces painted white, running with spears in their direction.

"Catch them!" one of the wild men commands the others, "But don't kill them yet! We need to find out if there are others with them!"

Jay stoops over to open the exit, but Zane pulls him back. "What?"

"We can't reveal the location of the safe haven, or else everyone is in danger!" Kai tells him.

"Run as fast as you can and don't look back!" Zane says, darting to the left, into the dense underbrush and the other three follow him. _Too bad we didn't dress in green. All of our clothing, especially Kai's and Gerry's will give us away unless… _Zane glances at Gerry's orange jacket and looks forward, seeing a patch of orange and red flowers, scattered in the bushes, like ashes blown from a harsh wind. He grabs Kai and Gerry, pulling them down and motions for Jay to the same. The lightning ninja ducks, as another spear hurls through the air, narrowly missing his head, and it grazes Kai's hand, landing in the ground. The fire ninja stifles a cry and grabs his stinging hand, attempting to keep the blood from gushing out.

"They're over there!" a spearman points to their location and rushes in their direction.

Zane quickly peeks through the bushes only to discover two of the wild men, holding machetes are ten feet away. "Dang it," Jay whispers under his breath. The group leaps up and grabs the men, pulling them down and Kai knocks them out with two rapid blows to the head. Jay and Zane take the machetes and Kai and Gerry take a bag each from the men, which each contain a leather water bottle, a bit of dried leaves, and some salted meat; then Kai grabs the spear out of the ground, while they dart to the right.

"I see them!" another spearman shouts, but when Zane glances back, the rest of the men are fifty feet away, moving through the bushes with familiarity and ease, gaining up on them, some being armed with bows. He hears something whine through the air and looks in front of him in time to see an arrow imbedded in Gerry's back.

"Gerry!" Jay screams as Zane lifts the tall man with difficulty on his back, blood squirting from the wound. More arrows and two spears hit the trees, bushes, and ground, yet none seem to find their mark. Zane and the others screech to a halt as spears and men come up from the front, and surround them.

"Drop your weapons!" a short man with long, scraggly, black hair points his a machete at Zane's face, the blade only inches away from his blue eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Elemental Bluff

The ninja drop their weapons and the apparent leader punches Zane's side, causing him to drop on his knees, nearly letting go of Gerry, who screams in agony. Zane bites his lip, wincing, and feels Gerry's hot breath on his back cease. His eyes widen and he puts the man on the ground, putting two fingers up to his nostrils. "No…" Zane murmurs.

"What is it?" Jay asks.

"Is he-" Kai stops himself as Zane shakes his head softly.

The short man punches Zane's jaw and puts the machete against his throat, saying, "Where is your base?"

"We don't have one," Zane responds, his blue eyes cold with suppressed hatred, and stares directly in the man's dark, brown eyes.

"You don't look too thin, even if the others are," the man retorts, "Tell me. Where is your base?" he presses the blade harder against the ninja's throat, expecting blood to come out, but none appears.

"I said we don't have one!" Zane insists.

The man instantly pulls the machete back and slices Zane's arm, barely piercing the artificial skin. Zane remains hard, staring at him, still without blood coming out of him. "What-" the man starts, but the ice ninja interrupts him.

"I-I am the ice god," Zane bluffs, not certain if these men are superstitious or not, but hoping they are, "All who try to harm me will suffer!"

The man chuckles; then flips the machete, and drives the butt end of the hilt into Zane's hole. It sticks in and Zane barely manages to keep from showing the severe pain he is in and stands up, with the blade protruding from his side. The men stare with wide eyes at him, looking perfectly normal, without an apparent hint of pain or weakness. The other ninja gape at him as well, and Kai quickly catches on. "I am the fire god and he is the lightning god."

Both Jay and Kai stand and the ninja take out their golden weapons. Jay swings his nunchucks, displaying a quick flash of lightning, before putting the weapon back in his holster, and Kai lights his sword, red and orange flames appear; then he does likewise. Zane slowly takes out his shurikens, pain shooting throughout the left side of his entire body, and he closes his eyes, holding both weapons side by side, yet worries about it. _What if this doesn't work? I need to be in full condition to do this. _

Zane opens his eyes and pulls the shurikens apart, slowing rising into the air, and becomes an icy sort of transparent. His hands tremble violently and he tries to steady them, but to no avail. The weapons fall out of his hands and he plummets from mid air, landing on his knees, and drops to his hands. The machete strikes the ground and drives farther into his side, causing the unexpected pain to catch him off guard, and lets out a small cry.

"You are the ninja, not gods," the leader says and screeches, beating his hands against his chest, a sign to apprehend the trapped group.

Kai pulls out his imitation of the Sword of Fire, and lights it again, but the men no longer fear them and attack. Zane retrieves his shurikens, in time to block a strike, aimed for his head, splitting his enemy's spear in half. He knocks his weapon against the man head and turns, blocking another spear, but this one does not split, and the wild man knocks the right shuriken out of his hand; then swings the shaft into his other hand, causing Zane to lose his other weapon.

"Watch out!" Zane shouts as Zane stabs a man with his sword and a man swings a machete behind him. Kai whirls round and slashes the man's leg.

Zane grabs the spear and pulls it away from the man, and slams it into his head. He blocks a machete and knocks it out of his assailant's hand; then drops the spear and quickly picks the blade up, thrusting it into the wild man's chest, squirting blood in his face.

Jay whips into his tornado, shouting. "Ninja go!" The others follow suit and the men are soon sprawled on the ground. The ninja take off, back in the direction of the safe haven. Jay limps with a bloody left leg, stumbling forward, and Zane and Kai wrap his arms around their shoulders, running as fast as they can.

"We're almost there." Kai says, "I can see the opening through the trees and bushes."

They crash through the underbrush, into the new pathway made by the Devourer, and rush to the exit, feeling the ground tremble violently. Zane glances to left, only to see the giant serpent heading their way. _It's now or never! _"Down, now!" Zane screams as Kai opens the exit and the scaly mass slams into the ice ninja's body.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Exiled

"Look out Zane!" Kai warns as three Venomari slam into him, knocking the ice ninja off balance and hitting Jay, causing all of them to topple over into one pile of scales and flesh, with poor Kai on the bottom.

The snakes leap off them, running, bereft of their swords, and scream, "The Devourer is here!"

"In, now," Zane says as the snake appears one hundred feet away, closing in on them.

Both he and Kai help Jay down through the hole quicker than lightning, and the fire ninja goes next. Zane jumps through the exit, only to be caught by the sword in his side, wedged in the hole, and screams freely in pain, since the serpent had already spotted them.

"What's wrong?" Kai calls to him from below.

"I-I'm stuck…in between the hole," Zane gasps, gingerly touching the blade, mentally feeling worse about pulling it out than his brothers.

Kai wraps is arms around the ice ninja's leg and says, "I'm going to count to three; then pull you through. Jay, do you think you can help?"

Jay limps over and takes Zane's legs as well as the Nindroid responds, "O-okay."

"One," Kai shouts nodding to Jay and both yank their brother down, quite roughly. Zane screams as the hilt is drilled out and he crashes to the ground, not moving. Kai quickly shuts the exit, sneaking a glance to see the Devourer's head two feet away, and collapses, panting heavily on the dirt-covered, stony ground.

"Hey Zane," Jay leans over and slaps the ice ninja's face, "Hey, wake up! You don't think we damaged him severely, do you?"

Kai grunts as he gets to his feet and says, "I don't know, but let's take him to our tunnel first, so we can see. Besides, no one can know we broke the rules, or else we'll be in a dire situation."

"Okay. Let's get him up then," Jay agrees.

**8:00 A.M. Two Hours Post* the Attack**

Zane's eyes snap open and he glances frantically to his right; then his left, but winces, groaning, and his hand instantly touches his side, which is covered with several layers of black duct tape. He puts his head back down on the floor as the dreary tunnel as well as the stench of foul decay makes his head swim. _Which tunnel am I in? Judging by the less potent smell in here, this is not number fourteen, though I sense I am closer to the front. _Kai leans against the wall next to him, with his eyes shut, apparently asleep. Jay is on the other side of him, lying on the ground instead, sleeping as well, his soft snores disturbing the eerily quiet area. White cloth is wrapped around his leg.

Zane extends his left hand out to test the limits of his mobility, but quickly draws it back to his side, letting out a stifled groan. Kai opens his eyes groggily, and once he sees his brother he instantly is kneeling over him and whispers, "How are you feeling?"

"I…could be…better," Zane gasps, grasping Kai's arm with a shaky hand.

"I'm sorry about what we did earlier at the exit. It was my fault," the fire ninja apologizes.

"No, it's not your fault. If you hadn't have done that, I would have perished," Zane says softly, giving a slight, yet painful smile.

Kai smiles back, privately thinking, _Zane and his love of words. _"Why is your hand shaking?"

At the mention of the matter and not wishing to bring back the argument prior to the attack; Zane releases of his brother's arm; then lays his head back on the ground. "C-could you…not bring that up?" the ice ninja pleads, while the vivid images of the knife and bradawl invade his mind.

"Okay, but when you're a little better, I'm going to bug you about it."

"Thank you brother," Zane says and asks, "Is Jay alright?"

"Yeah, he didn't lose too much blood and the gash was not too deep. He'll be fine after a bit of rest, which he will definitely get in this…run down place."

A curly-haired man enters the tunnel, wrinkling his nose in distain, and ambles up to Zane, saying, "Zane, you and Lloyd are exiled from the safe haven, permanently. Last time was a warning; now you will suffer the real consequences for your actions, robot!" Jaques spits on the ground next to him, waiting expectantly for a reaction, yet only finds Zane's icy blue eyes, giving him a chilly glare that brings shivers down the repulsive man's spine.

"Jaques, I don't know who you think you are, but I will not allow any harm to come to Lloyd. If you touch a hair on that boy's head, I will kill you," Zane warns him.

"You're so protective of him, aren't you? You're not old enough to be his father, so…I'm assuming you are his brother. He's been apprehended already, so nice try and besides, you can't do anything to me in that condition."

Kai wraps his hands around Jaques' throat, squeezing him tightly, "You monster! How could you do that to a little kid? How could you?"

"Kai…stop," Zane coughs as he attempts to stand, leaning against the wall for support and raises his voice, "You can't hurt him! He has Lloyd! Kai, don't!" No one helps; no one speaks; no one even looks up at them. "Kai, I said stop!" Zane grabs the fire ninja, who knocks him off, unwittingly hitting his side and the ice ninja slams against the wall.

**10:30 A. M. -Two Hours and Thirty Minutes Post the Announcement**

"I'm sorry about all of this," Cheryl says and hands Zane a leather bag, "This may help you and the boy a bit. Be safe."

"Thank you," Zane speaks softly before slinging it over his shoulder and readjusting a sleeping Lloyd on his back.

He slowly turns away from the safe haven, ambling towards the left side of the forest, disappearing in the bushes. "Be safe," Cheryl whispers back and goes back in the underground.

Zane treks in the forest for a few hours before setting Lloyd on the ground, so he could survey the area a bit. By then the sun was beating down on his back as he glances around at the place dotted with trees. Birds chirp in the trees and Zane spots a snake on the ground, but doesn't worry. It's only a garter snake.

_I better find where we will take shelter in, yet…will that even matter? Wherever we go, the snake will find us by scent alone, and those wild men will certainly return for us. _Zane speculates.

***Post means after.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Survival

"We need to go after him," Kai announces to Jay and Cole.

The lightning ninja stops pacing the tunnel and looks at Cole hopefully. "Well?"

"No, we can't," the earth ninja responds.

"Why?" Kai demands, "They'll die without us!"

"Do you want to die too?" Cole questions them, "That snake will kill all of us and didn't you mention wild men as well as Serpentine being out there? Besides, Zane will take care of Lloyd and himself; after all, he's a robot."

"How can you say that?" Kai rants, "Without him, we wouldn't be here, nor would we have even had a home! He is _our _brother!"

"Hey _I'm_ the leader, not you. I know what I'm saying!" Cole raises his voice and gets in Kai's face.

* * *

"Lloyd, I'm going to get some items to make a shelter for us. I won't be far away, but if you need me, call me, okay?" Zane reassures the green ninja, before walking off. He returns with a bundle of dead branches, throwing them into a pile next to a tree, where Lloyd lies, unable to rest from the gnawing pain. Zane looks in the bag Cheryl had given him, finding some matches, a small hatchet, a knife, two empty water bottles, some dried fruit, a bit of rope, a small pot, and some medicinal herbs.

He takes the hatchet and knife; then goes to a different tree and begins cutting off leafy branches. He drops the branches next to him and picks up the hatchet from the ground, swinging it into the thicker ones for an hour. He uses the knife to shape stakes that he drives into the ground, creating a short fence that he covers the top of with the branches. He puts softer branches with leaves on the floor of the shelter to make a bed.

He goes back to Lloyd, putting the hatchet in the bag, slinging it over his shoulder, and gingerly picks the boy up. He carries him into the shelter and carefully lays the child on the "bed".

_I better get some water to boil and drink as well as some food_, Zane decides and says, "I'm going to find some water and food. Just stay put."

"Z-Zane," Lloyd weakly grabs the ice ninja's sleeve.

"Yes?"

"It h-hurts," the boy coughs, "A…lot."

"I'll be giving you some medicine soon. Wait right here," Zane tells him and takes the water bottle and pot before leaving to find water. He glances from side to side, scanning for anything useful, and spots a small stream only fifty feet away, yet he looks back at the shelter, hesitant. He doesn't want to leave Lloyd even at such a short distance, but what other alternatives do they have?

He sucks in a deep breath for comfort's sake and jogs to the water, quickly filling up the bottles, not worrying about spilling them because they have lids; then fills the pot, carefully holding it out as he stands. His hand trembles violently and he spills most of the water over the edge. He mutters as he goes back to the stream to refill it, _If only none of this had been discovered, I would not have lost my ability to be dexterous. No I did not lose it. It was taken away from me._

Zane sighs and attempts to bring it back again, still unable to keep from spilling it. After the sixth try, he decides to bring it back empty and fill it with water from the bottle. It works this time and he soon has a fire going. While the herbs boil, he returns to the stream to fetch more, when a twig snaps behind him, and he is instantly on his feet, knife drawn, expectant. He glances back and forth, watching, waiting. Nothing.

He turns back to what he is doing when something whistles through the air and his instincts kick in. He rolls to the side and leaps up, seeing an arrow where he had just been stooping. "Who are you? Show yourself!" Zane demands, holding out the knife towards the bushes.

Four wild men spring out of the bushes, two holding spears, one with machete, and the last holding a bow, with an arrow notched to the string. Zane weighs the options, finding that if he puts up a fight, the probability of being damaged is 65.98% and the probability of being captured is 26.87%. He did not calculate the others and decided if he's going to run, or fight them. _Perhaps I can put them off guard; then attack. _"What do you want?" Zane asks.

"Put the knife down!" the bowman tells him, "Or I'll shoot!"

Zane knows there's no use in arguing and slowly sets the weapon on the ground, keeping the bottle with him, just in case he has to relocate, which is more than likely.

"On your knees now!" the swordsman says.

Zane gets on his knees, eyeing the bowman's hand intently, going over the entire process in his head. _I have to be careful, because if any of them hit the right spot in my side, they can activate my artificial blood, and I don't know how to deactivate it. If I don't take care of the bowman first, it's game over._

"Where is your base?" the swordsman demands.

"It's over there," Zane points across the stream without taking his eyes from the bowman's hand and grabs it, twisting the hand with a snap; then slams the man against the tree. The man screams as Zane swings his elbow into the swordsman's throat, causing the assailant to drop his blade, gasping breathlessly. Zane leaves the machete and does a quick sweep, knocking the first spearman off balance; then kicks the man's side, swerving away from the second spear that the other man throws at him. The spear strikes the tree behind him. Zane kicks at the man's stomach, but the attacker moves out of the way, swinging a fist into Zane's face. The ice ninja grabs the man's shoulders, head butting him, and delivering a knee into the spearman's midsection. The assailant groans, dropping to the ground. Zane picks us his knife and water bottle, rushing back towards the shelter, but before he can go a few feet, a click behind his head forces him to halt.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Bloody Night**

Zane freezes. He glances behind his shoulder, yet sees nothing, and looks at the ground, only to notice he stepped on something, which had produced the clicking sound. He stoops over, picking it up and sees a silver hairpin with a plum blossom painted on it. He takes off, running as fast as his legs can go, to the shelter. He shoves the objects into the bag, putting it back on his shoulder, and lifts Lloyd onto his back, taking off to the left of the forest, where the undergrowth is denser and dark. He holds the boy with one hand, shoving the branches aside with the other, hearing rapid footsteps behind him.

He risks a glance back and sees the tip of a spear raised above the bushes, and a hand drawing it back; then releasing it. Zane drops to the ground, the weapon narrowly missing his head, and glances back to see a young girl darting towards them. She halts as she sees them, her brown eyes widening with alarm. "I am sorry. I didn't know you both weren't those snakes or wild men so…" she apologizes, bowing her head slightly, her dark, wavy hair falling in her pale face.

Zane gets to his feet with difficulty, his side protesting at every movement he makes, and turns to face the girl, who looks to be about sixteen years old. "Are you exiled as well?"

"Y-yes-I am…from the safe haven," she responds, smoothing out her tattered, what-used-to-be-white dress.

"We were exiled as well. How long have you been out here?" Zane asks.

"For two weeks. I've been living in a cave not too far away from here, hunting when I can. The kid doesn't look too good. Do you want to come with me?"

"Yes, please. We are very grateful," Zane says.

"Okay, but be forewarned. We will have to relocate frequently because of the activity of the wild men, the raiders really, and the outcast Serpentine."

"I've dealt with both of them before. It should not be an issue," Zane responds, but feels his heart sink at the mention of the outcasts. Who knows what they'll do if they capture anyone of them?

"I've seen you somewhere. You're one of the ninja right?" the girl asks.

"Yes. I'm Zane."

"Emily," the girl extends her hand, saying, "Let me help you."

"Thank you, but I think I can manage," Zane turns down the offer, not ready to trust someone he just met, no matter how sweet and innocent the girl seems.

"Okay. Let me get my spear and we'll be on our way," Emily walks up to where the weapon is imbedded in a patch of grass, and yanks it out. "Follow me."

* * *

"I'm going after him whether you like it or not," Kai stalks out of the tunnel, with Jay limping behind him, and the fire ninja stops. "Jay, stay here. I don't want you to get hurt."

"But I-" Jay protests, but Cole cuts him off.

"Kai's right. You need to stay here, because you cannot help in that condition."

"But what about Zane and Lloyd? They do need help and I at least am willing to help them," Jay retorts.

Cole looks down, digging a heel in the dirt, and says softly, "I know you're right. Just be careful, okay? I'm staying behind so I can protect the people, in case anything bad…happens."

"Okay. We'll bring them back. Don't you worry," Jay smiles sadly before hobbling after the fuming Kai.

"Be safe," Cole whispers.

* * *

"Wait right here, and if I don't come back within ten minutes, run like there's no tomorrow," Emily whispers before disappearing into the bushes, leaving Zane holding Lloyd, who is moaning, tears streaming down his face.

Emily parts two bushes apart, catching a glimpse of a spearman standing like a sentry in front of the cave. She bites her lip, slowly letting go of the bushes, and twirls her brown hair with her finger; then searches for a stone. She picks a random one the size of her thin hand, and throws it to the right, peering through the bushes again, to see the man take off in that direction. Once he's gone she rushes into the cave, grabbing all of the necessary supplies from her shelter into her pack.

Footsteps recede and she readies her spear, poised to attack as the wild man races in, throwing his spear at her. She ducks while thrusting her weapon outwards, the shaft piercing her assailant's chest. She yanks the spear out, grabbing her bag, and darts out of the cave, back into the bushes where Zane waits patiently, though alert. As she returns his anxious face relaxes, and he asks, "Is it safe?"

Emily shakes her head and grabs his hand, pulling him in the opposite direction. "We need to leave now," she responds in a low voice as they take off, "They found us."

"Where are we going?" Zane questions.

"I found another place that I decided I'd use if this cave was discovered, as a backup."

**6:36 P. M. -First Night of Exile**

The sun begins sinking behind the clouds, the night bringing the chirping of insects and owls hooting to the chilly outdoors as the trio trek further and further into the dense forest. "Zane?" Lloyd whispers.

"Yes?"

"Aren't you tired? You can put me down now."

"We're almost there," Emily tells them.

"Emily?" Zane calls her softly.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen. You?"

_She's pretty young to have been out here for two weeks. _"Eighteen."

"The boy?"

"Ten."

"What's his name?"

"Lloyd."

Zane thought he heard her muttering something about Lloyd being so young; then she spoke up, "How's he doing?"

"He's not doing too well and is burning up."

"I don't know much about healing, but I'll do what I can. Here we are." She abruptly halts in front of a simple cave, for the most part covered with brambles and overgrowth, but Emily enters as if it's a familiar, old home, merely shoving the plants aside.

The three of them enter the small shelter and Zane delicately sets Lloyd on the floor, as well as the supplies; then rummages through the bag, searching for anything of use to help the boy. Lloyd sweats profusely, licking his parched lips, and bites them, curling up into a fetal position. "Zane…it hurts," a tear falls from the child's face.

"I'm here. I'm getting something to help you," Zane responds, pulling out some things he hadn't noticed was in the bag before, white bandages, thread, and a needle. "Lloyd, I'm going to change the bandage and stitch you up, just bear with it. Okay?"

"Stitch it?" Lloyd's green eyes widen and he grasps Zane's hand, "Please don't. No. I don't want you to!"

"Lloyd, if I don't, you could…you need it or else it won't heal and it will keep hurting. Trust me. You will be okay. Just concentrate on something else."

Lloyd nods fearfully and looks to where Emily is, while Zane takes the gi top off. The ice ninja gingerly removes the bloody bandage, and places his hands over the wound as blood gushes out, seeping through his shaky fingers. Lloyd cries out in pain, having endured it well for a child of his age, and Zane places more cloth on the gash to prevent the bleeding, yet it will not cease. "Emily, can you hold your hands here?" Zane asks.

"Okay," Emily says, but trips on the spear, "Look out!" Zane whirls around as the shaft imbeds in his side. Zane grimaces, yanking the spear out and returns to covering Lloyd's wound, feeling his clothing dampening. He glances down to see the blood was activated and is spreading at an alarming rate.

Emily rushes up and switches places, while the ice ninja tries to knot the needle. On the third knot he drops both the thread and the needle, and falls onto his hands and knees, feeling weaker and weaker every passing moment as the blood pours freely out of his side. His vision starts to blur and a red sign flashes in front of his face:

**Warning!**

**Blood flow draining at the rate of twenty ounces per minute.**

Zane ignores the sign and scrambles to Emily and tells her, "I can't thread the needle. Can you sew?"

"Enough to get by," she responds and retrieves both, quickly finishing the knot and sticking the black thread through the eye. Zane pushes down as hard as he can, but his strength dwindles significantly and he feels as if something sharp as a knife is piercing his side. Everything darkens and Emily's distant voice rings in his head. "Zane! Are you okay? Let go of the wound or else neither of you will survive. You're worse off than he!" Blackness.

**3:00 A.M. –Morning After the Exile**

Zane's eyes shoot open, his vision momentarily blurred. He feels empty, feebly moving his left arm, testing all of his fingers. All are functioning. Another red sign flashes in front of his face:

**Warning!**

**Major Malfunction Due to Significant Blood Loss and Maul**

_Maul? What does that mean?_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Bloody Morning

Zane squints, his vision clearing, only to find he is not in the cave, but is lying at the precipice of a cliff. He lifts his head his pain-ridden body groaning as his legs, back, arms, and right shoulder protest, yet he still takes notice of a blood-chilling scene. He is not alone. An orange, black-striped tail protrudes from a bush ten feet away, swishing back and forth. Two Venomari bodies lie on either side of him, both permeated in blood; the one on the right has a gash down the middle of its head, with a split down the mouth, its arms twisted to the left, pointing at Zane; the one on the left has a stab wound to its chest, with its mouth hanging open, with a sword in its hand, and claw marks on its torso, while flies swarm over its wounds.

The grey light of dawn brings a chill to Zane as he moves his fingers on his other hand, testing them as well, but finds he is holding a cold object, and his index finger is completely numb. A low growl comes from the bushes, and the tail disappears into the foliage. Zane lies on the ground, not daring to breathe, or to move, though his body, surprisingly, shivers uncontrollably.

After a few minutes of no activity besides the insects, he moves his left arm, using it to raise him up slightly, while thoughts race in his mind. _Where are Lloyd and Emily? Are they okay? Where are they and where am I? What happened? How long have I been out?_

The red sign still flashes in front of his face, even when his eyes are shut, as he looks about the area, finding a trail of dried blood leading away from him. "Lloyd?" he calls, "Emily? Are…any of you…out…there?" He coughs, his sides where his artificial rib cages are shooting intense pain. Nothing.

_If I lie here, that animal will return and that will be the end of us. Wait! What if it already got to the others? What if they're already gone? No don't think about it. They're okay. They're fine and I just have to find them. _A rustle from the bushes startles Zane out of his thoughts, and he strives to stand up, but falls back on the ground, this time on his side, with the wind knocked out of him.

His vision blurs again. A red object and a white object, both holding silver things in their hands, rush up to him, and he hears Kai's familiar voice next to his ear, "Zane, we have to go. Can you get up?"

"I-I can…try," Zane gasps.

Kai grabs his arm to support him, but that only increases his agony. Zane stifles a cry, flinching, yet uses his other arm to get up. Once he's on his feet, he leans on the white figure next to him. "Don't worry. We'll bring you somewhere safe where Jay can repair you," Emily tells him, and gently wraps his arm around her shoulder while Kai does the same.

* * *

"Why haven't they returned?" Jay asks, hobbling on a stick, sort of pacing back and forth in the cave, "Do you think something bad happened to them?"

Lloyd opens his eyes, leaning against the wall, responding through gritted teeth, "I don't…know."

"Well where are they then?" As Jay talks to himself, Lloyd turns away from him, wincing from the stinging pain in his chest, and abdomen. Though his gash healed just fine, that maul did him more harm than ever.

Lloyd eventually cannot take Jay's constant bickering and worrying any longer. "Please just stop it! Can't you leave me in peace for five minutes? Worrying won't do us any good until we obtain the Traveler's Tea and find my dad. Man, if we had found that Tomorrow's Tea a little earlier I wouldn't have had…" he points to himself, "this happen."

"Yeah. I know. I can't believe you're so much taller, and even your hair changed from that ugly…uh that um…" Jay fumbles for words, shifting uncomfortably.

"I get it. Yeah, my hair is way better now than before, but I'm still getting used to my new body. At least when I grew, the wounds shrank, though they are still hurting pretty badly."

"You okay?" Jay inquires and Lloyd nods, not wanting the lightning ninja to overreact.

The green ninja mutters, "Like I haven't had enough problems. I hope the cuts and gashes aren't infected or something."

"What?" Jay asks.

"Oh, nothing."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yea, yeah. I'm fine. Quit worrying."

* * *

"We better bring him back to the cave first; then get the tea," Kai says.

"Here. Let me take him back and you get the tea," Emily tells him.

"Can you manage?"

"Yes. I think so."

"Okay then. Be safe, Em."

"You too Ash."

Emily takes the brunt of Zane's weight while they stumble back to the cave, and Kai darts off in the opposite direction, into the unknown as something hisses in the bushes, smiling as it whispers to its companions, "There are some humansssss that look tasssty and the wounded one issss fatter, though not really fat, and vulnerable. We can eat him and get the otherssss eassssily. Which one should we get firssssst?"

"Get the wounded one firssssst," a deeper voice says, "He won't put up a sssstrugle like the red one." They chuckle, while fingering their knives thoughtfully, waiting, anticipating a fine and fairly easy supper.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Bloody Expectations

**7:00 A.M. –Three Hours After Kai and Emily Discovered Zane**

"Don't move!" Jay whispers, "Someone's here."

"It's…us," Emily pants stumbling into the cave with Zane barely able to walk, leaning on her.

"What happened to him?" Lloyd asks, helping her set Zane on the floor.

"Where's Kai?" Jay says.

"I don't know what happened to him. Kai's gone to search for the tea," Emily responds quickly.

"What happened to you?" Jay asks Zane, kneeling next to him.

"Jay, he isn't in a condition to have a normal conversation right now," Emily cuts in, but the ice ninja interrupts her.

"I…don' know either. What happened when I passed out?" Zane stares at Lloyd, trying to clear his vision, noticing something's different about the dark lord's son, yet cannot

The others exchange glances hesitantly, and Lloyd says, "It's been three days. You tried to…kill us."

"What?" Zane exclaims; then goes into a fit of coughing, holding his hands against his mouth. When he draws it back it is covered in blood.

"Wait. How come you have blood? You're a robot!" Jay exclaims.

Emily face palms, "Is that important right now? Let's fix him first."

"H-how did I…try to-kill you?" Zane asks.

"Don't speak right now. We need to repair you first," Emily tells him, "Lie down."

"I need to know what is going on first," Zane responds. _Am I a threat to them? If so, I shouldn't be here._

"I'll tell you afterwards. Just let us help you!"

"I need to know if I am a threat to any of you!" Zane raises his voice, and all but Emily were surprised at their brother, who is normally calm.

"If you don't let us help you, you will be a threat! Now lie down!" she shouts, pushing him onto the floor. "Lloyd, Jay, it's up to you two. Let me know if you need two extra hands."

"Okay," Lloyd says as she ambles to the mouth of the cave, grabbing her spear on the way, and stands at the entrance to guard.

* * *

"Where is it?" Kai whispers to himself as he pushes through the rubble in Jamanukai village, or what used to be at least. _Where on earth will I find the shop and even if I get there, what does the tea look like? Dang it! If only Sensei were here... There it is!_

A pile of crushed cement and pieces of wood look the same as the rest of the ruined buildings, yet there is a part of a sign protruding from the rubble. Kai rushes up to it and pulls it out, seeing part of a teapot painted on it, and quickly begins shoving through the fragments.

**7:00 P. M. –Third Evening After the Exile**

Kai stands up for a moment straightening his aching back with clammy hands. His sweat only causeshim to shiver as the night closes in on him, bringing a lonely chill. He's almost inside, and after he obtains that tea, he can get out of that wretched place; then he removes a large boulder out of the way, and a foul stench assaults his nose. He looks down to see a partially rotting carcass of an older woman. His stomach twists and he turns away, liquid filling his throat, and retches, vomiting a pale substance in front of his feet, not having eaten much of anything to lose. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and covers his nose by putting his ninja hood on, passing the body without looking at it.

He goes to the rear of the structure where the tea is stored and discovers glasses filled with leaves, mostly broken. Shards crunch underneath his shoes and he glances back and forth, only having a second wave of nausea to attack him, and he pulls back his hood, dropping on his knees. He falls on his hands, feeling shards imbed in his flesh, and vomits again, several more times. _Get up! You need to get that tea or else it's the end of all of Ninjago. Since when did we need the dark lord to save us? Well, we do need him and it's now or never. _He forces himself to look around for it, picking up pieces of glass that have labels on them, but doesn't see it. _Come on! Come on! Where is it? _ He picks up one that is undamaged and finds the name he needs written on it:

**Traveler's Tea**

"Yes!" Kai whispers, eagerly putting it in a bag he had around his shoulder before standing up. Something crunches behind him, and he whirls round, pulling out his katana only to be met cold metal and pain slicing through his flesh as a shadow leaps into the room.

**Poor Kai. I know I'm so mean to him. So…the ninja need lord Garmadon's aid to destroy the serpent, and now there's a major delay. Which ninja do you think Emily will like? Zane x OC, Kai x OC, or Lloyd x OC? Please R and R. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Ugly Truth

"Now tell me. What happened that bloody night? Why did you say I was trying to kill you?" Zane turns to a fidgeting Lloyd.

"Well…you didn't exactly try to kill us, in particular. You attempted to kill everything living," Lloyd responds.

"How?"

Jay leaves the two and hobbles to Emily, whispering, "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" she asks.

"To check on Kai. He should have been here by now."

"Okay. Be careful."

* * *

Kai backs up against the wall, barely able to hold the katana from the pain in his right arm, sliced down to his shoulder and thinly pierced skin above his ribcage. Something hisses in the darkness, foul carnivore breath blowing in the fire ninja's face. The shadow is not the shape of a serpent, yet it does seem strange. Kai drops his sword as something hard smacks into his mid-section, and something cold and sharp wraps around his throat, biting into his flesh, squeezing the breath of him.

Kai reaches his hands out, touching scales as well as something slimy moving on his hand, sliding up his bleeding arm. It hisses with pleasure as it tastes his blood and the slimy thing moves under the red sleeve, into the fresh wound. A cold object pierces his shoulder and the slimy thing (Kai supposes is a tongue) inserts itself into the flesh.

"Tasssste it. Hisss blood issss delciousssss," the shadow hisses

Several more tongues find their way into the wound, licking the blood as Kai struggles to get away, screaming as his abdomen is then punctured and the slimy, thin tongues move to there. The fire ninja's knees give way and he drops to his hands and knees, but he is forced back up, pinned against the wall.

"Let go of me!" Kai demands, but the creatures ignore him. _I hope this works. _He pukes pale liquid on the tongues and they release him.

He drops face down and the creatures hiss sharply, "Thissssss thing is sssssick! We cannot drink hissssssssss blood or something may happen to ussss!"

A slightly softer voice says, "No it'ssss not ssssssick! It isssss like that becaussssse of that woman'ssss body. It'ssssss ssssso ssssskinny it musssst be sssstarving to death."

"Well then let'sssss finish him off now!" the first voice responds, making Kai's heart sink as they lift him back up against the wall.

"Kai? Are you there?" a muffled female voice calls him from somewhere outside.

"I'm in here!" the fire ninja shouts, but his feeble voice dies down, while the creature glowers over him, digging its claws downwards on Kai's chest. He screams.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Zane questions him.

"I woke up to find you bending over me, with a…" Lloyd trails off, his green eyes widening at the mention of the matter.

**8:30 P.M. –Night of Zane's Attack**

Lloyd opens his eyes, smiling weakly at Zane, who stoops over him, also smiling. "Are you feeling any better?" the green ninja asks.

"I'm much better. Thank you for your concern. How about you?"

"Better, but those stitches hurt a lot, and they still do," Lloyd responds, shifting uncomfortably, and groans softly.

"Don't move around or else your stitches will burst; I have found a way to get rid of the pain, permanently," Zane tells him.

"Really?" Lloyd's eyes light up, "How?"

"By doing this," Zane instantly snaps his arms out and wraps his hands around the boy's throat.

"Zane!" Lloyd chokes, "W-what are you...doing? Emily! Emily, help!"

Emily takes her spear from where it was leaning against the wall and whacks the ice ninja's head, shouting, "Zane! Snap out of it!"

The Nindroid pays no heed to her and tightens his vice grip. Lloyd's face turns scarlet from lack of oxygen, and he begins forming a green ball, but before he releases it, Zane lets go of him, and takes off out of the cave. The green ninja catches his breath while Emily rushes after him.

"Zane!" she calls after him as he attacks two Venomari, taking the sword out of one's hand and slicing down the front of its head, and violently assailing the other.

"Behind you!" Lloyd screams as a tiger lunges towards Emily, claws extended to her back.

**Thank you for the reviews. Is this getting a little too creepy? Because that thing attacking Kai is not a Serpentine at all.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Red Lair

Emily glances back, anticipating meeting instant death, but finds the beast faltering, and it limps away from her, towards Zane. A knife is imbedded in its left foreleg, and Zane picks up a throwing knife from one of the snake corpses, aiming for the tiger's head this time. He releases the little blade as the beast lunges at him and the measly weapon grazes the furry cheek. The claws find their way into Zane's shoulders, digging in deeply. It punctures a wire, but not enough to electrocute itself, yet.

"Let go of him!" Kai leaps out of the bushes with a katana, plunging it into the tiger's flesh in its side, and yanks the blade out. The animal roars with pain, as well as rage, and swipes a claw at the fire ninja, who ducks, but the weapon is knocked from his grasp. He drops and rolls out of the way, knocking into Zane. The ice ninja screams like a madman and jumps onto the beast's back, digging one hand into the animal's wound, holding a clump of fur with his other hand.

Jay limps out of the bushes, throwing his cane out of the way, and dropping on his stomach, underneath the beast. He picks up the sword and thrusts it in the tiger's chest; the animal howls and wrenches away from the blade, darting off into the bushes.

"Zane!" everyone screams in unison.

Emily puts Lloyd on her back, joining the others, who are gathered around their brother. Zane lies on the ground, in a pool of blood, with his mouth slightly open, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. "No…please. Don't…" Lloyd says softly.

A rumble close by tells the group they need to leave right away. "We have to go, now," Kai tells the others, picking up his sword and the cane.

"What about Zane? We can't leave him!" Jay protests.

"We'll return for him," Kai reassures the lightning ninja, "I promise, but in order to do that, we need to be alive. Do you understand?"

* * *

"We thought you were dead," Lloyd continues, "And were going to come back to save you, but worse problems arose."

"What problems?" Zane asks.

* * *

"Someone, help…me," Kai's weak voice sinks into an inaudible whisper as the blood loss takes over his weary body and the reptiles lick his wounds with violent pleasure.

"Don't be ssssso ravenousssss!" the softer voice hisses sharply, "We need to take him home for our young onessssss too."

"Take him back then!" the other one hisses louder, "But letsssss make sssssure he cannot esssscape at all."

A sharp claw punctures Kai's leg, yet he doesn't scream, nor make any movements. He just stays pinned to the wall in intense pain, unable to respond, and is lifted onto cold scales. Whatever this thing is has immense strength, agility, as well as speed, and quickly rushes out of the crumpled up building. "Kai!" a girl's voice calls him again, this time closer and more distinct. It's Nya.

"N-Nya…I-I'm here," Kai manages to gather enough of what little strength he has to call back.

"Kai!" two people scream, rapid footsteps behind him, and the creature he's on runs with frightening speed, quickening its pace tremendously. Kai opens his eyes groggily, only seeing red, red, more red, and a bit of dark green and brown, most likely from the overhanging tree branches and bushes this thing moving through. Everything turns a shade of bright blue, green, and purple. A wisp of a serpent flashes in neon colors in front of his face, and his brothers (including himself) and sister appear, crying over a body of a young girl. _What does this mean? I must be hallucinating or something, but that girl looks strangely familiar. _A chill runs down his spine when he realizes her identity.

"No," Kai mumbles as something hard and cold hits his head. Everything goes black.

**Sorry that I haven't written for a couple days. I've been really busy recently.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Young Ones

Kai opens his eyes groggily, seeing blue and silver scales mere inches from his pale face. He raises his head, causing pain to shoot down his wounds, and notices six lizards about the size of his palms, feasting on his blood. He backs away, attempting to shake them off, but another lizard, two and a half meters tall, hisses at him, "Don't move if you want to keep your worthlessssss life." He takes notice of the animal's unique features: bright green eyes that look at you with a venomous lust for blood, fresh, human blood; thick claws that cause severe punctures and lacerations on your body; its red, forked tongue flicks out when it speaks; and it stands upright. Its forearms have immense strength and so do its legs, yet it is still agile.

"W-what is g-going on?" Kai coughs weakly, "W-who…are…you?" _More likely what are you? Can this thing even talk?_

"I am the father of the Lacerators, the ancient race of blood-thirsty lizards. Though few now remain, we do exist, and have come because of starvation. We don't have anything against humanssssss, but we need the vital fluid, or hemoglobin, if you would prefer, or elsssse we will die. We cannot have anything other than that except water."

Kai shudders in horror, now noticing piles of bones on the ground, and scattered fragments of clothing, all with dried blood stains on them. _How could this be? I need to get out of here, but how? I can't walk and the lizard Lacerator thing will definitely catch up to me. Zane, that's it! Now how do I get him here?_

"Kai, where are you?" he hears the distant voices of my family calling him.

"Guys, I'm here!" Kai calls back as loudly as his sickly body will allow.

"Kai, are you there?" he hears Emily shouting.

"Emil-" a scaly hand clams over Kai's mouth and he strives to wrench away, but the Lacerator proves stronger. He holds the fire ninja so hard his nails bite into Kai's flesh, drawing blood.

The voices fade away, until the ninja cannot hear anyone at all. _They passed me. I'll be dead before they even come back. _The Lacerator releases him and a white figure appears at the cave entrance, calling, "Kai, what's going on?"

"Zane, watch out!" Kai warns as the Lacerator swings its powerful tail at the ice ninja. Zane ducks, rolling to the side and doing a quick sweep at the creature's leg, but cannot knock it over.

The Lacerator grabs the white ninja by his gi, throwing him against the wall. It digs a claw into Zane's shoulder, piercing him and tastes his blood. The creature hesitates, but instead of realizing the vital fluid is artificial, unwittingly says, "Come, my children, and taste this."

The little lizards leave Kai and suck Zane's blood ravenously. Zane looks at Kai, who mouths the words, "Don't move. You're going to be okay."

The Lacerators drop abruptly, foaming at the mouth, leaving the ninja with dead lizards in a cave, away from the others. "What's going on?" Zane asks, carefully holding his shoulder while standing up.

"Well, the father said they will die if they intake anything except for hemoglobin, so I thought if they try yours, they would die, but I think there's another Lacerator out there."

**4:30 A.M. – Fifth Morning Post the Exile**

"Okay, here it goes," Zane sucks in a deep breath before pouring the tea around the fire in a circle.

Once the tea is gone, he looks in front of him, and a vortex appears, spinning slowly. "I don't know if this is such a good idea," Jay states flatly as Zane, Kai, Lloyd, and Nya enter, so he merely follows them, reluctantly thinking to himself. _Will the dark lord really help us save Ninjago?_

**Okay, so everything will be explained when I write the sequel. Yes, this is the end of this one, so…until next time! Thank you for all of your support, r's, and r's. :)**

**Zane's Girlfriend**


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